The broomstick and the dagger
by thehornetsnest
Summary: Here is the story of how all four of the Hogwarts founders came together. Consider this book one of a series.
1. The Broomstick

Wet and foggy, a chilly breeze blows in across the swells, carrying with it the pungent smells of dew and stale bread. The bustle of peasants pushed against one another like sardines packed tightly inside of a small can. Many of the people wore old pointed hats, woolen cloaks, and hooded capes. The chatter was less than enthusiastic. It was a very chilly day and they all seemed to want to get their work and trading out of the way so that they could return home for the day.

A particularly stocky young man around the age of eighteen however, was scurrying triumphetly down the village streets; holding in his grip a rather thin and ordinary looking broomstick. His vivid green eyes were lit up as though it were made of pure gold and he made special care not to drop his new possession. He took a left, storming into a shabby old bakery despite the bold 'closed' sign on the front door. He entered the warmth of the bread house, taking in a strong whif of dinner rolls, cinnamon buns and nature, for plants of many sorts were potted and placed on many shelves and window sills. There were fresh lavanders, onions, mandrakes, and sprouts. The boy rubbed his hands together, grinning as he listened to the crackeling of the fire that warmed the place.

Before he could say a word, he felt the hard bang of something hit him hard across the head, knocking him to the floor of the bakery. He let out a yowl of pain, holding onto his sore head, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Godric?! OH! Godric! I'm so sorry!" a shrill shriek exclaimed. She looked on the verge of tears.

Godric opened his eyes to see Helga Hufflepuff, a bright eyed girl with straggly blonde hair and a flour splotched face, holding onto the handle of the skillet for dear life. She was dressed in her usual pale yellow dress with a plain black apron. It was the only clothing she owned. She was staring at Godric, her jaw dropped to the creaky wooden floor board. She had obviously mistaken him for a burglar and took action by hitting him with the skillet. Typical Helga.  
It was also typical of her to be too hard on herself and coddle people as though they were fragile children. She was on her knee's, apologizing profusely and smothering Godric with pats and hugs.

"Helga! Helg-" Godric started, as his friend dotted over him with teary kisses amongst his forehead. "Gerroffme-Helga-stop!"  
Helga backed off, composing herself a little. "I'm so sorry."

Godric rubbed his ginger head, dazed from all of the stimuli after the hit to the head. He recovered quickly, though. He had to with all of the falls he had. He was rather clumsy and daring, so many falls had prepared him for this inevitable moment. "S'ok. I have great news!"  
"What is it?" Helga inquired.

"This broomstick is-" Godric went to pick up his broom, only to see that it was now splintered from the fall. "No! No! I hate my life!" Godric kicked at the floor like a toddler throwing a tantrum. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Helga looked at him with stern disapproval. "Now, Godric Gryffindor, it's simply a broomstick."

"No! No, Helga! It was not simply a broomstick! It was in fact, the most amazing Broomstick in the world!" Godric's eyes watered ever so slightly slightly. Helga's concerned eyes shifted from left to right. It was clear that she thought he was going mad. Godric sighed heavilly with disdain. "It could fly."

Helga stared at him for a long time before sighing with resignation. "Oh dear. Let's take you to Rowena. I'm sure the hit with the skillet has driven you bonkers. I'm sure she'll have a concoction-"

"No! I'm serious! I got it off a bloke named Salazar Slytherin. He let me trade it for my dagger." Godric revealed to her.

Helga gasped, "The one crafted by Goblins?" He nodded sullenly. "You mean the one your father passed down to you from your ancestors?! Godric! That's highly disrespectful and-"

"It was for a flying broomstick! I doubt he'd mind." Godric rolled his eyes. He doubted Helga would truly understand where he was coming from. Nobody did. He had odd obsessions that were often frowned upon by society. Helga was a very understanding young lady, but she had a good head on her shoulders most of the time and would likely worry for Godric's family matters. She would hate to see a row between him and his father occur over a dagger. She just wanted what was best for anyone she came across and beyond.

"That's not the point-"

Godric stood to his feet, wobbling slightly. "I've got to fix it. Perhaps Rowena can help."

Helga still looked unconvinced. Godric sighed heavily.

"Look, do you remember that muggle story that you read to me when we were kids called Jack and the been stock?" he asked her.

"Of course." Helga smiled fondly.

"Well, that's what this is like. Jack's mum got angry at him for trading valuables for a bean, but the bean ended up being really special. This is the same. This broom is my bean and it's going to take me high up into the clouds. It's adventure!" Godric grinned, his fantasies running wild.

Helga looked at him, her blue eyes weary. "So, it's true? They've finally achieved flying broomsticks and I broke it?" She looked like a kicked puppy now, guilt devouring her.

"D-Don't worry about it, Helga. We'll fix it." Godric assured her and himself. He didn't want to be angry at his friend, but he couldn't help but to feel a sting of resentment at the fact that his prized possession was broken already because of her.

A noise by the shelves made the pair turn their heads. A group of brown little critters were scurrying along the wooden utinsels and banana nut muffins.  
Godric stared back at his friend with utter disbelief, "You've let the badgers in again?"


	2. Rowena

The pair arrived at the tall stone tower along a misty shore. The home of none other than Rowena Crawford. Helga and Godric helped one another climb the slippery slope that led to the doorstep and sighed as they knocked three times on the large wooden door. Any moment now, the riddle would be asked.  
As if on cue, the door itself began to rattle as words engraved themselves onto it's front. The question was rather short today. One inquiry. The two sighed with relief.  
What always ends everything?

Godric looked to Helga who's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Godric admired the young womans ability to take on any challenge given to her, even in the damp, chilly weather.

"I believe the answer is forgiveness." She suggested, good naturedly. "Because as long as someone forgives and forgets, everything is over and well."  
The door engraved upon it a large,

NO

"Well, Rowena likes to throw in the obvious sometimes." Godric pointed out, patting a slighty discouraged Helga on the back. The two brightened up and simultaniously coursed, "G! Because G is the last letter in the word everything!"

Well, that was fast.

Godric puffed out his chest slighty, a wry grin on his face as the door swung open for him. The two entered the home of Rowena with trembles, for one could never know exactly she had set up because things changed dramatically almost every single day. Except for Wednesdays, Wednesdays were always the same unless Rowena felt particularly creative and mischievous.

The tower was dark and in order to make it up the spiral staircase, one had to hold onto the stone walls for dear life and manuvour past Rowena's 'tricks' such as random missing steps, wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot.  
When Godric and Helga complained and griped about their difficult journey's to her chamber, Rowena calmly explained to them that it kept ones mind and reflexes sharp and ready for surprises because they could come at you at any moment in life.

The two finally located the door of Rowena's room or otherwise library by feeling the morse coding that she created purely our of rubies and jewls she had found during and dangerous expedition with her mentor, Rodery Ravenclaw.

The code was similar to what one would know as Morse code except far more complex. It stated Rowena's favorite quote,

Wit beyond measure is mans greatest treasure

The door opened itself and allowed Helga and Godric to enter. Helga huffed and puffed, whiping the sweat off of her brow. "Rowena, that was the worst yet!"  
Rowena smiled inquisitively, "Oh? But, I provided a rather easy riddle this time. I had to make up for that somehow."  
She was lounged in her favorite blue arm chair, wrapped in the confinds of a deep purple blanket that matched that of royalty. It had intricate golden designs with such complexity that Godric and Helga were sure that it had a hidden message in the woven lines that only the clever Rowena could decipher. She noticed Helga's eyes staring at it with disbelief and awe. "Rodery gave it to me. He fabricated it with nothing more than his wand, lavenders and twenty seven nights of moonlight. Isn't he a charmer?"

She smiled, dark eyes dancing with amusement.

"I do not see why you won't take his hand in marraige, Rowena. He aways showers you with abundent gifts and kindness." Helga stated with slight envy, "and his cleverness compliments yours so well. If you do not love him, why do you accept all of that?"

Rowena lounged in her chair carelessly, placing her large book in her lap. "Romance is not my forte, Dear. and it would be rude and quite foolish of me to decline such luxaries if it's offered. It isn't as though I asked him to be my unofficial lackey."

Helga's eyes turned to slits a moment, but she was unable to say more because Godric interrupted. He marched over to Rowena and revealed the cracked broomstick. She blinked, staring up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Godric, I do think you'll have to try a bit harder to compete with Rodery's offerings." She teased, lightly.

Godric rolled his eyes. "No. I need you to fix this. It's a flying broomstick! Or at least, it was a flying broomstick..."

Rowena laughed, "A flying broomstick? Why, that's the most preposterus idea I have ever heard!"

"Why?" Godric asked hotly. He just wanted his broom fixed.

"Well, of all the things the wizarding society could enchant to levitate; I think a broom is the silliest of all!" Rowena said with impish contempt. "That envention will certainly go nowhere."

"Say what you like, but I believe it's the greatest achievment since wands." Godric stalely replied. "It'll be a legend. It'll define the world of wizardry. Everyone will be talking about them."

Rowena fell into a fit of laughter. "I guess they will as long as brutes are reproduced."

Godric sighed heavilly, "Just fix my damn broom. Please."

"Fine. I'll see what I can do. Put it over there." She pointed to a corner to the left, returning to her book. "You two may go. Or feel free to read or explore. Just don't go into the potion room."

"Why not?" Helga and Godric asked.

"You two are the clumsiest pair I know. You'll surely spill something and then I'll have to cure you for raging boils again."


	3. The quarrel

Helga 's eyes were filled with utter awe, as she sat cross legged on the floor of Rowena's chamber, flipping through a book of moving paintings that Rowena had crafted herself. Godric was admiring her many tridents and other treasures she had found on expeditions with Rodery. Godric often wished that he could achieve such greatness, but Rowena often excluded him from her adventures. She only allowed Rodery to accompany her, for he was her mentor and as Rowena worded it , _"Had the intelligence needed to attend."_ Sometimes it frustrated Godric that Rowena's arrogance blinded the deep kindness that he knew was deep in her heart.

While this went on, Rowena slaved over the splintered broomstick, letting out harsh sighs of frustration. There were many things that she hated and failing at a task was certainly one of them. She was so used to achieving and getting praised for it, that when she didn't accomplish her goals, she felt as though she had no worth. She worked and worked away at the broom before eventually letting out an earsplitting scream and snapping the broom over her knee.

"Rowena!" Godric cried out, screaming with outrage. "What did you do?! What in Merlin's name did you do to my broom?!"

"I snapped the bloody thing, what do you think? It was beyond repair anyway!" Rowena fired back with flushed pale cheeks, throwing the remains to the stone floor. Helga scurried quickly over to clean the mess with her bare hands alone.

"Now what am I going to do?!" Godric moped, looking on the verge of tears again. He threw his hands in the air, filled with intense despair. "My life is forever ruined!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Rowena snapped, "It's your own fault for making such a silly trade and not being careful with it."

"Helga broke it! Not me! She's overly paranoid, you know!" Godric said, defensively making Helga gasp with betrayal in her eyes. Godric refused to make eye contact with her.

"Well, you barged into my bakery without knocking! What was I supposed to do?!" Helga asked, looking as though she had been stung several times by a Blast ended skrewt.

"You could have looked at who it was before hitting them in the head with a skillet!" Godric shouted, still buried in guilt.

Rowena cut in with resignation, "Well Godric, you know she's not very bright! You should have knocked or something."

Helga glared and rounded on Rowena with a raised voice, "I'm plenty bright, thank you very much! I just don't allow strange men into my shop!" Helga had had bad experiences with robbers in the past.

Godric scoffed with creased eyebrows. "Why on earth do you assume men are the only threat in the world? Plenty of women are capable of thievery and other horrible crimes."

Helga was about to respond, but the conceited, high class Rowena interrupted. "Well, commoners like Helga-"

"Commoner?! Rowena, we are not as different as you think! and if you were so bright, you would have been abe to repair the broom yourself, you-you Harlot!." Helga said, briskly.

Rowena and Godric were dead silent, staring at Helga with shock. Helga looked breathless, surprised herself at her sudden change of attitude. She was usually forgiving and understanding, but today she felt bold and was not going to allow herself to be walked all over and insulted.

Rowena glared. "I think you should leave now. Both of you. Go on. Out of my sight."

Godric and Helga gaped at her.

Rowena turned away from them, sitting down in her throne-like chair. Helga and Godric stayed planted where they were, still in disbelief that they were being thrown out by their friend. "Well? Get out. I don't want to see either of you right now."

Helga glowered, her face scarlet now with embarrassment and anger. "Want to go use Rod some more instead?"

This was the last straw for Rowena who's eyes turned to slits. "Get out! Get out of my tower this very instant or I'll make you!" Rowena screamed, eyes blazing with the purest rage.

The two wasted no time before scurrying out of her chambers and manuevering to the door that seemed to be found much quicker than before. Godric grabbed the knob, feeling an electric shock sting his hand. He let out a wolf-like howl and the door swung open harshly, wind and rain smacking him hard across the face. The two stormed out, hearing the loud bang of the door slamming behind them. They turned to look at the door's front that immediatly inscribed.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out. It will certainly try.

Godric and Helga stormed away with clenched fists, the icy rain drenching them both. Helga shivered, the cold biting her nose. Godric had never seen her so angry. How did a matter of minutes change everything so quickly? One minute they were all friends and now they weren't. It made no sense.

"Helga-"

"Don't!" Helga interrupted angrilly, her teeth chattering. "Just don't. You threw me under the wagon, Godric. You insulted me just so you could protect your pride! I have never witnessed such disloyalty from you than I have today. First you traded your father's prized dagger, next you're insulting your friends who have been nothing but loyal to you. I want nothing to do with you until you reavaluate your priorities."

"And what about you? You were pretty rude to Rowena." Godric reminded her, offended by her words.

"Yes, well that's because she needs a wake up call and apparently so do you!" and with that, Helga walked ahead of him at a quickened pace. He was left all alone. Now what? He had no mates and his dagger and broomstick were gone. What was he to do now? Go home? It was all he could do. He just hoped that his father wouldn't question him about the missing dagger.


End file.
